


Shovels in the Rose Garden

by LasEstrellasdelPurgatorio



Series: Shovels, The Guardian Tools [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Awkward Romance, F/M, First Relationship, Growing Up, Humor, Meeting the Parents, Oscar Pine Has Done Nothing Wrong, Overprotective Family, Overprotective Xiao Long-Rose-Branwen Household, Past Heartbreak, Past Relationship(s), References to Sex, Shovel Talk, Some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25211542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LasEstrellasdelPurgatorio/pseuds/LasEstrellasdelPurgatorio
Summary: The time has come to meet Ruby's father; hopefully, he's already gotten his last will and testament out of the way.
Relationships: Oscar Pine & Taiyang Xiao Long, Oscar Pine & Yang Xiao Long, Oscar Pine/Ruby Rose, Ozpin & Oscar Pine, Qrow Branwen & Oscar Pine, Qrow Branwen & Ruby Rose & Taiyang Xiao Long & Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose & Zwei (RWBY)
Series: Shovels, The Guardian Tools [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1826572
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	Shovels in the Rose Garden

**Author's Note:**

> The shovel talk in itself is ridiculous and can be a way to show your lack of faith in someone else's judgement...but it's just too fun to avoid writing!

“Oscar, are you almost ready?!” He hears Ruby call out, “We’re about to head over!”

“Just a second!” He calls back.

 _Okay,_ he thinks to himself, staring with determination at his reflection, _Today is the day you meet your gir..girl…girlfr-Ruby’s father. The man who made her. Hence why he is her father._

_GULP._

_You can do this. Everyone’s always going on about how nice he is, I’m sure he’ll be easy to talk to. Even if he’s the guy who made Yang, well…YANG._

Pausing for a second to check how he looks again, wanting to make a good first impression, he smooths his shirt for the millionth time and tries once more in vain to keep his hair from sticking up.

Taking a deep breath, he steels himself.

_YOU. CAN. DO THIS!!!_

“Ruby, I’m coming!”

**_Oh, you poor child…_ **

_Huh?_

But Ozpin doesn’t say anything else.

Oscar’s not sure if that’s a good thing.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Dad!” Ruby calls out cheerfully as she opens the door, “We’re here!”

“What’s up Pops?!” Yang calls out bombastically.

“MY BABIES ARE BACK!” Oscar hears called out, as a muscular man with blond hair and tan skin with a tattoo on his arm barrels down the stairs, tackling his daughters in a hug once he reaches them.

“DAD!” Ruby squeals as she attempts to wiggle her way out to freedom, “You’re crushing me!”

“Shh, shh, shhh, my baby!” Mr. Xiao Long coos.

“…We’re here too,” Qrow states.

“Yes, but I don’t care!” Mr. Xiao Long says in his cheerful tone.

“I’m dying…” Ruby manages to breath out.

Once Mr. Xiao Long lets his daughters go, he finally notices Oscar.

“Oh? Who’s this, new friend?” The father inquires, giving the farm boy a look down that no doubt is making him sweat bullets.

A nudge from Qrow wakes the trembling boy from his daze, and he shudders before slapping a determined look onto his face.

“N-NICE TO MEET YOU, SIR!” He manages to get out, as a million thoughts race through his head, _Oh man, he’s ripped, he could crush me! Why does he have a tattoo, oh crap, was he in gang?! Is he a mob boss?! Wait, should I have brought flowers?! Do dads like flowers?! WHY DIDN’T I BRING FLOWERS?!!!!!_

“…”

Taking pity on him, Ruby steps in, “Dad, this is Oscar Pine; we met him in Haven.”

“Oh!” Mr. Xiao Long says in surprise, “Well, any friend of my girls is a friend of mine! Welcome, Oscar.”

Stepping behind the boy, Yang settles her hands onto Oscar’s shoulders, saying in a teasing tone, “Oh, he’s a bit more than a ‘friend’ for some of us, right Rubes?”

“YANG!” The rose squeals, face red to match Oscar’s.

“Hm?” The eldest Xiao Long utters.

“Well, you see…” Ruby starts.

“R-Ruby and I…” Oscar continues.

“We’re, um…”

“Right now, we’re…”

“Oscar is my…”

“Wait, I’m your…”

“I-I mean if you want to…”

“Um, if…if you…”

“Well…”

_Flick!_

“Ow!”

“Ouch!”

“Sorry,” Qrow tells them, “But that was gettin’ painful to watch.”

“Anyways…” Ruby starts again after pouting at her uncle, “Dad, Oscar and I are…together-together.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Well isn’t that something!” Mr. Xiao Long finally says, “My little girl is dating! And here I was starting to think this day would never come!”

“HEY!” Ruby pipes out in protest!

“Well,” Yang starts, “You never really got into this kind of stuff before, sis.”

“I…shut up!”

“Well anyways,” Mr. Xiao Long cuts in, “Ruby, how about you and Oscar head on into the living room? We’ll be there in a sec.”

“Will do!” The reaper agrees, “Come on, Oscar!” She starts, pulling the farm boy by the arm.

“T-Thank you, sir.” The freckled boy stutters out, blushing at the contact from the silver-eyed girl.

As soon as they leave the hallway, the eldest dragon turns to his daughter and friend, the smile gone from his face.

“So…” he asks, “That’s _him_?”

“Yup.” Qrow answers, arms folded and eyes narrowed while his niece pins a glare in the direction the younger two had gone in.

“I see…” Taking a deep breath, he regards the other two with a look that wouldn’t be out of place on a general preparing their soldiers for the battle of their lives.

_“Then today, our worst fears have been realized. May the Gods have mercy on that boy’s soul.”_

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

“Teehee! Oscar, calm down!” Ruby giggles, “My dad clearly likes you.”

“Sorry…” the farm boy replies as he deflated onto the sofa, “I’ve never really…done this before.”

“Yeah…” Ruby agrees, “Me either; this whole um… _thing_ is kind of weird. A GOOD WEIRD!” She blurts out at the look on Oscar’s face.

“Y-yeah…”

“Yeah…”

“Hey, kids!”

Both shooting up and stiffening at the sound of the voice of Mr. Xiao Long, faces being willed to stop flashing red.

“Dad!” “HELLO, SIR!”

“Calm down, Oscar,” the man reassures him as he walks in, accompanied by Yang and Qrow, “I don’t bite!”

“I beg to differ…” is muttered by Qrow as the settles onto the couch with Yang, flanking the youngest two while Tai takes the chair.

Ignoring him, Mr. Xiao Long starts again, “Hey Ruby, I think there’s a special someone taking a nap upstairs if you wanna see him.” He says with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

Gasping, the girls activates her semblance and bounds up the stairs, squealing, “ZWEI!”

Chuckling as he watches her go, Oscar turns back to the group assembled.

An action he now realizes that he will regret for the rest of his days.

With three intense glares pinned at him from all directions, all the boy can do is gulp and sit up straighter.

“So,” the father begins, all traces of playfulness having left his voice, “Just how long have you known my daughter, _Mr. Pine?”_

“Umm…” The boy gets out.

“Oh, do you need some water?” The man says in a voice that Oscar does not in any way trust not to poison him.

“N-no.”

“Then, would you mind answering my question?”

“Y-yes,” He stutters out, “We…We met about six months ago, sir.”

“I see, that matches what Qrow told me.”

_Wait, why is he asking me about things he already knows about?!_

“And when exactly did things between you and Ruby…” The man pauses, looking off for a second, as if trying to find a word, finding it and giving Oscar a look that reminds him WAY too much of a crime boss debating what to do with a snitch, “ _advance_ to more… _intimate_ relations?”

Gulping, he turns his head a bit only to be met with Yang’s now red eyes, somehow in the spot Ruby was originally sitting in.

He doesn’t even want to take a chance at seeing whatever face Qrow is making.

Turning to face Mr. Xiao Long again, the boy manages to shake out, “…About…three weeks, sir.”

Nodding slightly, the man starts again, “Ah, very recent, I see. And you decided to speak to me so early, very responsible.”

Blushing slightly at the praise, Oscar manages to stammer out, “Th-Thank you, sir.”

“Of course,” the man starts again, destroying whatever security he was beginning to feel, “We have yet to determine just how far that responsibility extends.”

Another gulp.

“Get on with it, Tai,” Qrow demands, all but growling at the man.

“Alright, alright,” the father appeases, “Calm down, we’re not trying to scare the boy.”

_They’re not?_

“Now we are.”

_CHING!_

_CLICK!_

Seeing Ember Celica and Harbinger pointed at Oscar’s face, the boy is _very_ glad that he didn’t have that glass of water.

“Now,” Mr. Xiao Long starts again, narrowing his eyes, “Mr.Pine…”

_GULP._

_“Just what are your intentions towards my daughter?”_

_…Ozpin, what do I do?!_

**_I’m sorry Oscar, but I’m afraid I can’t help you with this._ **

_WHAT?!_

“Come on, Zwei!” The perky voice of Ruby Rose is heard, bouncing down the steps, another set of feet following her, “Yip! Yip!”

 _“_ Hey, sweetie!” Mr. Xiao Long calls to his youngest, voice filled with sweetness.

“Zwei!” Yang calls out as the dog hops onto her lap where she pets him and WHERE THE HECK DID THEIR WEAPONS GO?!

“So what have you guys been talking about?” The girls asks, plopping back down onto the couch.

“Oh, we’re just getting to know your friend a bit better!” Mr. Xiao Long answers, his words laced with honey, eyes focused on Oscar.

The underlying threat to break all his bones if says anything is received through them.

“Y-yeah.” The boy complies.

“Oh!” Ruby squeaks out, “That’s…cool, I guess.”

_…I’m saved._

As long as Ruby’s here, he has nothing to fear.

“Hey, Ruby?” Her father asks.

_Wait…_

“Yeah?” The girl responds in kind.

“You mind taking Zwei out to do his business? It’s been a few hours.”

_No…._

“Oh?” The girl mumbles.

_No!_

Pulling the dog into her arms, touching their noses, she asks, “Do you need to go potty, Zwei?”

_HOLD IT IN, YOU PRECIOUS FOUR-LEGGED MIRACLE OF NATURE! RUBY, JUST LET YANG TAKE HIM!_

“Ruff!” The dog barks out in affirmative.

“Alright, let’s go!”

…

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

“Be back in a sec!” The girl calls out cheerfully as she closes the door, oblivious to the sudden change in her family’s demeanor once she turned her back.

_CHING!_

_CLICK!_

And, the weapons are back at his neck.

“Now,” Mr. Xiao Long starts again, “Where were we?”

_…Ozpin, am I going to die today?_

**_…That is a very good possibility, Oscar._ **

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Just admit it,” Yang demands, “You’re trying to do the nasty with her, AREN’T YOU?!!!”

“FOR THE LAST TIME,” Oscar squeals, close to tears, “NO! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS, YANG!!!”

“Don’t trust him, Yang” Qrow warns, “I know his type, that’s what they all want.”

“MY TYPE?!” Oscar screams, confused, “WHAT TYPE?!”

“ _Fourteen year-olds.”_ The bird man hisses.

“I thought you were supposed to protect me!” The boy whines, whispering, “If you kill me, Ozpin dies, too!”

**_Oscar, please don’t bring me into this._ **

Moving to be in front of him, Qrow looks him dead in the eyes, places his hands onto his shoulders and tells him, “ _If he came back once, he can do it again.”_

_…_

**_Well, he’s not wrong._ **

“Hey guys,” Ruby asks, popping her head in, “Does anyone know where Zwei’s chew toy is?”

“Try the chest by the bench, honey!” Mr. Xiao Long calls out and THEY DID IT AGAIN! WHEN ARE THEY MOVING?! ARE THEY NINJAS?!!! DON’T SMILE LIKE THAT, THERE IS NO KINDNESS IN YOUR SOULS!!!!!

“Okay, thanks!” She calls out and heads back outside.

And, the weapons and glares are back.

“HOW ARE YOU PEOPLE DOINGT THIS?!” Oscar screams.

“WE HAVE DRILLS!” Yang answers.

“WHAT?! HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS?!!!”

“SINCE RUBY WAS BORN!!!”

“Now, young man,” Mr. Xiao Long says, “We just wanted to explain some things to you.”

_GULP._

“You see,” the older dragon continues, “My wife, she left me these girls as her final gift. Everyday I have with them is a blessing, and the thought of anything happening to them terrifies me. Now, as a Huntsman, I understand the dangers that come with the profession, so I know they’re headed for a hard life. As their teacher, I know that they can take a lot. But as their father, I understand that they both have their limits, physically and emotionally. And I know as an adult just how easy it easy to be used by someone who just wants your body. And I always thought that my girls were a _bit_ too good to just be someone’s fun time. Now, I know it’s too late for Yang-”

“HEY!” Said girl yells out, insulted.

“-but Ruby still has a chance. And I’m not going to let _anyone_ take advantage of my baby girl. So I think you and I need to come to an understanding.” He tells Oscar as he comes to stand in front of him.

_Gulp._

_Oz…Am I going to die?_

**_Oscar, as someone who has been through many situations, please find some comfort when I tell you…Yes, and, oh boy, it’s going to hurt._ **

_…I figured._

“You see,” Mr. Xiao Long starts, closing the distance between them, “there’s a lot I can do with these hands of mine: Hold a baby, grade papers, snap necks, make coffee, rip your little friend down there off, just, so many things.”

“Like put them together and beg for forgiveness for being a huge jerk.”

Turning their heads back to the direction of the new voice, the four see-

“R-Ruby, hey sweetie!” Mr. Xiao Long nervously says, silently hoping Ruby’ll fall for the innocent act and stop looking so pissed off.

She doesn’t.

“WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!” She demands of her family.

“Um, well…/Sis, we were only…/Well, we tried…” Comes from his three interrogators.

“HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN THREATENING OSCAR THIS WHOLE TIME?!”

“Uh…”

“NO! Oscar!” She shifts to him, the boy recoiling reflexively, “Have they been threatening you?”

“Um…” He begins, looking over at his tormentors who are trying to motion for him to keep quiet.

…

_Oh, heck no._

Steeling himself, he tells her, “Yes.”

“UNBELIEVABLE!” The girl yells, “Why would you guys threaten _Oscar?!_ He is a freaking cinnamon roll! THE CINNAMON FLECKS ARE HIS FRECKLES!”

“…Fleckles-”

_“Yang, I will put Nair in your shampoo.”_

That silences the bodacious blonde.

“Look, sweetie,” Mr. Xiao Long tries to justify, “We were just worried-”

“That I couldn’t make a decision by myself?” Ruby cuts him off, “That I couldn’t be trusted to decide who I wanted to spend my time with? That I’m too stupid to know who is or isn’t good for me?”

“What, no-”

“I’m not dealing with this,” Ruby declares, “I am _tired_ of everyone underestimating me and going behind my back instead of trusting me to know what’s good for me; I am going for a walk, and I would prefer if the rest of you stayed here.”

“…”

“Oscar, do you want to come?”

“Y…Yes, I do.” He tells her, a confident look on his face as he follows her outside.

_Shut!_

“…”

“…Okay,” Yang starts, “We screwed up.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

“So,” Oscar starts after a while since they reached the cliff with Ruby and Zwei, “This…is her.”

“Yup,” Ruby answers, “This is Mom.”

“Okay,” Oscar says, settling onto one knee and setting down a flower he picked in front of the grave, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

This makes Ruby smile fondly at him before she sighs in exasperation, “Oscar…I am so sorry for my family.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault, Ruby. You don’t have to apologize for them.”

“I know, but, they really shouldn’t have done that, it was…dumb.”

“That’s…one way to put it.”

“I shouldn’t have left you alone with them. I should’ve known they’d do something like that, it’s just…I thought they were finally starting to see me like a real Huntress, one who can look out for herself, but they still think I’m some stupid little kid!”

“Ruby…”

Taking a breath, she turns back to Oscar, a tired smile on her face, “Sorry Oscar, this isn’t about me. I really am sorry about everything.” She apologizes, going to scratch under Zwei’s chin.

“Ruby, it’s okay,” he reassures her, “I get it.”

“Oscar…”

“It’s frustrating when no one takes you seriously and they think they have to make decisions for you. They just…disregard what you do and then they act like you’re not ready to do things on your own! Yeah, it’s frustrating.”

“…Yeah…”

“For the record, though,” Oscar tells her, putting a hand on her shoulder, “I think you’re pretty great.”

That earns him a sweet smile, one that causes a blush in return, and Ruby saying, “Thanks, Oscar.”

_SNIFF!_

“…Huh?”

Turning their heads to the source of the noise, they see…

“DAD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! I SAID DON’T FOLLOW ME!!!”

“Oh honey, I know,” the man starts, walking out from behind the tree, Yang and Qrow in tow.

“But you guys came anyway,” She bites back sarcastically, “Of course. Are you here to threaten Oscar’s ding-a-ling again?”

At that, Oscar glares at the group in front of him…safely behind Ruby.

“No,” the elder starts, “I’m not.”

“Yeah,” Yang agrees, “As much as I’d love to rip off his Meyer Wiener,” she continues, shrinking a bit at the unamused glance of her sister, “we’re here to say, ‘Sorry.’”

“…To which of us, exactly?”

Sighing, Mr. Xiao Long begins, “I guess we really do owe an apology to both of you; Oscar, I’m sorry that we scared you, we’ve just always been afraid that someone would try and take advantage of my baby and I guess we let that paranoia take over.”

“…”

“Oscar, c’mon,” Yang complains, “We really are sorry.”

“What do you want, Pipsqueak, a trip to the stocks?” Qrow asks sarcastically.

“…Maybe.” Oscar finally says.

“OSCAR!” Yang calls out.

“Okay, okay,” he finally says, chuckling slightly, “I forgive you guys.”

“Okay, thank you-” Mr. Xiao Long starts.

“In exchange for something,” Oscar cuts in.

“…”

“…”

“Sigh,” Qrow finally gets out, “Alright, kid, what do you want: candy, a ride on a roller coaster, swimsuit mags…”

“I want a free kick to the balls for all of you.”

“…WHAT?!” The trio calls out.

“You heard me.” The boy pouts.

“Okay,” Mr. Xiao Long says, trying to get a grip on the situation, “I guess that’s…kind of fair, but…”

“Alright,” Ruby cuts in, “It’s a deal, Oscar.”

“What, no-”

All three of them silence their protests at the glare Ruby sends their way.

“…Right,” Mr. Xiao Long starts again, “Ruby, we’re really sorry we went behind your back.”

Sighing, the girl looks to the side, “It’s fine…”

“No, it’s not,” her father interrupts, “You’ve proved time and time again that you know who to make friends with, and we keep forgetting that; it’s not fair to you, and we should trust you more.”

“Yeah,” Yang follows up, “That was really dumb, especially since we know Oscar wouldn’t try anything fishy.”

Sighing, Uncle Qrow finishes, “We’re idiots, shortstack, you gotta remember that.”

“We’re sorry,” Dad says again.

“…Sigh,” Ruby finally acknowledges, a fond smile making it’s way onto her lips, “Okay, I forgive you. But no more stuff like this, okay?”

“Okay/ I’ll try my best/ I make no promises.”

“Good! Now let’s go home!” She exclaims, leading them all forward in a march, Zwei beside her, “I want cookies!”

“Heh…classic Shortstack.”

“All that talk about being treated like an adult, and she still wants her snack.”

“Wait, I don’t have balls.”

“It’s still gonna hurt, Firecracker.”

_GULP._

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Later that night, after everyone else’s gone to sleep, only two figures remain at the dining room table.

“I promise you sir,” Oscar says, “I would never do anything to hurt Ruby.”

Sighing, Taiyang Xiao Long begins, “True, you may not _want_ to, but you _can_ all the same.”

“I…”

“You seem nice, Oscar, but as someone who’s had two relationships end horribly and leave behind regret and damaged self-esteem, I know what kind of dangers my girls could get into be letting themselves become so vulnerable around someone else.”

“…”

“But…” he says, putting a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“ _I know they’ll regret more if they don’t try.”_

Smiling, he pats the kid’s messy hair.

“So just be good to my daughter, okay?”

This gets the kid out of his seat, presenting a hand out, one Tai easily meets with his own.

“I promise, sir,” he says as they shake.

_Maybe Ruby really has found herself a good one._

He keeps the thought even as Oscar uses this position to pull himself closer and aim his foot right into Tai’s hidden dragon.

“GUKKK!” And has him falling to his knees and rolling onto his side on the floor.

“That was my one kick, we are good now, oh my gosh, I just did that, goodnight sir, please don’t kill me!” The boy blurts out as he runs upstairs to the guest room.

…

Pretty good knee for an amateur. At least he doesn’t have to wait, now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry, Oscar will get his other two dues later on!


End file.
